Saint-Lô is a town and commune of France, and the prefecture (or capital) of the Manche department.

The city being a strategic crossroad, Saint-Lô was almost totally destroyed (95% according to common estimates) during the Battle of Normandy in World War II, earning the nickname of the 'Capital of the Ruins'. The destruction was so bad, that it was even actually questioned whether to rebuild it or to leave the ruins intact as a testimony of the bombing.